"Switch 2 and Mario Kart World Pricing Sparks Crisis for Nintendo, Say Ex-PR Managers"

Amid the ongoing backlash to Nintendo's surprising pricing strategy for the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, two former Nintendo PR managers have labeled the situation as "a true crisis moment for Nintendo."

In a video on their YouTube channel, Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, former PR managers for Nintendo of America, expressed their concerns over the $449.99 price tag for the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price for Mario Kart World. "I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo," Ellis remarked.

Mario Kart World isn't the only game on the Switch 2 to carry a $79.99 price tag; other titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also come with this hefty price. Additionally, Nintendo has faced criticism for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial game, Welcome Tour, which many fans believe should be included for free, much like Astro's Playroom on the PlayStation 5, which serves as both a free game and a tech demo for the DualSense controller.

The outrage over the pricing has even affected Nintendo's Treehouse livestreams, where viewers have flooded the chat with demands to "DROP THE PRICE."

Ellis and Yang were particularly critical of the way Nintendo announced the prices for the Switch 2 and its games. They pointed out that the absence of price information in the Direct presentation was a "deliberate" move that led to confusion and misinformation, forcing fans to seek pricing details elsewhere.

Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery

91 Images

Yang suggested that the pricing was "intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason," but criticized the execution as it left fans piecing together information from various sources. "It just shows some disrespect to the consumer, where, 'oh, you just saw the Direct you’re so excited, you’re just gonna throw your money at us blindly, you’re not going to even ask the question of how much it cost because you’re so excited, aren’t you?'" Ellis added. Yang further noted, "It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer."

The former NOA communications staff also discussed Nintendo's failure to address the pricing concerns publicly or through interviews, which has led to rampant speculation and misinformation filling the void. "They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control," Yang stated. "They have lost control of this," Ellis added.

Ellis and Yang suggested that Nintendo may have lost the consumer mindfulness it once had, particularly after the retirement of former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé and the passing of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata. They anticipate that Nintendo's communications team will recommend an official statement, though the approval process will be challenging and involve many people before reaching current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa.

Moreover, Nintendo may be out of practice in communicating with its community and press, not having dealt with such negativity since the Nintendo 3DS price debacle in 2011. There is also concern for staff at public-facing Switch 2 hands-on sessions, where fans might ask questions that could be misconstrued as official responses if shared online.

As for what happens next, Ellis and Yang do not expect a price drop for either the Switch 2 or its games before launch.

For more information, explore everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, and what the experts have to say about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.